On March 24, 2008, under the George W. Bush administration, Sean Spicer slipped into a heavy white bunny suit, complete with baby blue eyes, a pink nose, and a look of trembling bewilderment, and paraded himself around the lawn of the White House.

At the time, Spicer was just a 36-year-old Assistant United States Trade Representative for Media and Public affairs, sweating it out among hordes of hungry children. Based on his interview, it's a pretty challenging role (the bunny one, we mean). Spicer said that it gets very hot in the suit, and he couldn't see very much, which is why each bunny is assigned a handler to guide them around the lawn. He wasn't even allowed to speak!

Getty Images

But even Spicer couldn't resist breaking the vow of silence to lecture the kids on the glory of fair trade:

"I kept telling the kids that "eggs-ports" help grow the economy and create jobs," he said. "All of the stuff kids got in their Easter baskets from Colombia entered the U.S. almost entirely duty-free, but when the Easter Bunny brought stuff made in the U.S. to kids in Colombia, he had to pay stiff tariffs—Congress should pass the Colombia trade agreement and end one-way trade."

Getty Images

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

According to this 2013 in-depth exposé by The Washington Post, the Easter Bunny role in this 139-year-old tradition has previously been held by several "well-known administration officials," as far back as the days of President Nixon.

Judging by this tweet from last Easter, it looks like old Spice himself misses the innocent days of his carefree youth. #NeverForget

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Marie Claire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.